The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-11-26
A COMPETENT MAN.
The Bargain Which fIe MAIDS One
Thanksgiving Day.

Il tcli YOU said Grapdtathe
Blythe, bringing down his cane at til
end of every word, by way Of givin
proper emphasis to his remark. 'tha
-'voR-shall-not-marry him!'
Freddie did not reply. but the Blyth
temper showed itself plainly enoug
in her flashing glance and heightene,
color, and she looked her grandfathe
eoolly in the face.
IAN affected jackanapes," continue,
the old man in an iratc tone. still
stamping with his cane, "who know
no manlier way of earning a livin!
than 10 daub spots of paint onto can,
vas, and call it art. You shall no
marry him, Frederica"
"And lsay,' retorted Freddie, "tha
] wW marry him-that if this is you.
only objection to a manly, honorable
IA who loves me, standardization
Hove, it is no objection at ALL"
Grandfather Blythe waved his fal
hand will, y gesture BETTING royalty
itself, aud relapsed into cold severity.
THAT will do, Frederick. In my
day Young ladies did not SO far forget
themselves as TO declare their own at
tachment to young gentlemen. Go to
your room, and when you can conduct
yourself with propr;cty, we will talk
this matter over"
Freddie choked back the sob that
her pride would not allow her to utter,
and swept out of the sitting-room with
all the dignity she could muster, but
she did not 90 TO her chamber.
There was u cool. shady nook by the
banks Of a stream that formed q boun-
Diary to the old orchard, where q ham,
mock swung in a most inviting man
ncr from the gnarled branches of n
certain old apple tree, and thither she
betook herself.
She did not confess, even to her w
thoughts. that the prospect of meeting
a certain person who haunted the
vicinity with q sketch-book under his
arm had any thing to do with shaping
her course.
All the same she was not surprised
when she heard a few bars of .Annie
Laurie whistled in mellow, fute-like
tones, and saw a tall, slouching form.
clod in a loose, velvet coat, vault
lightly over the fence, that ran at
right angles with the riv CT, and come
rapidly up the path through the loose
tangles of grass.
She looked in the opposite direction,
and pretended not to see or hear.
"And she's all the world to me-" a
voice sang softly, coming nearer
Still she did not turn. The footsteps
came close. closer, and then q hand
was laid on the hammock that swung
lazily to and fro, and a smiling face
bent over hers.
Max in q tone Of feigncd aston.
ishment.
"Freddie!' initiating her manne
Then they both laughed. Freddie
.seriously--"1 have been trying to
move the hard heart of Grandfather
"Max'-seriously also-"I have
been trying to soften the stern heart
Of Grandfather Blythe"
"And, Freddie, | have failed"
lit was an ignominous failure on mn
part, Max
They tried TO laugh, but Fr eddie, re.
membering her grandfather reproof,
sighed instead.
she took up Max's sketching book
nat he had laid in the hammock be.
'ide her, and began to turn owe tho
lley were rough sketches only, but
'lever. too, with a dashing freedom of
ouch that showed the element of un.
'eniablc genius in every stroke.
10 the simple country girl they were
revelations Of another life.
Here was a tropical forest, the
'hadows Of the cypress trees, draped
vlth festeons Of Spanish moss falling
across q still lagoon, the yellow
half obscured by clouds, throw
ng q weird, ghostly light over all.
lhere was q farm scene. and in tho
lSure that bent over the low, old.fash.
well-curb, to lift tho moss
bucket Freddie recognized
This sketch showed a boat, drifting
o river between green fields that
tretched away on either side. with
ileepy cattle resting under leafy trees; /
'at, a harvest field, with laborers lcau-
,1g on their rakes, amid ripe harvest
neaves; . rude cSttago IN tLs dis